Introduction to Veganism

Introduction to Veganism

Vegans don't participate in the exploitation of nonhuman animals. In other words, they avoid anything that requires nonhuman animals — birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, and so on — to be used or killed. This includes food, clothing, entertainment, and transportation.

Vegans don't: a] Eat chickens' eggs, pigs' flesh, cows' milk, or bees' honey. b] Wear anyone's skin (‘leather’), hair (‘wool’), teeth (‘ivory’), fibers (‘silk’), or feathers (‘down’). c] Patronize zoos, aquariums, rodeos, or horse-drawn carriages. e] Buy cats or dogs from breeders (though adoption and fostering are important). d] Use cleaning products tested on mice or rabbits. f] Hunt or fish.

Why Should I be Vegan?Right now millions of nonhuman animals are being used — treated like things or resources. Each is a unique individual who values his or her life. Each wants to avoid harm and feel contentment. You know this well if you have ever cared for cats or dogs. (Chickens love sunbeams and snuggling no less!) Experiences aside, you probably think we should hurt animals only when necessary. Reflecting on this intuition will help you understand our obligation to be vegan.

Right now millions of nonhuman animals are being used — treated like things or resources. Each is a unique individual who values his or her life. Each wants to avoid harm and feel contentment. You know this well if you have ever spent time with cats and dogs. (Chickens love sunbeams and snuggling no less!) Experiences aside, you probably think we should hurt animals only when necessary. Reflecting on this intuition will help you understand our obligation to be vegan.

Imagine that I have caged squirrels in my bedroom. I enjoy starving them to death and listening to their mournful cries. I can have new victims trapped and delivered with one phone call, and my family has done this for generations. For these reasons I say that torturing squirrels is pleasurable, convenient, and traditional. It's fun, easy, and well established. Yet it's quite clearly wrong. Why? Because squirrels are being needlessly harmed. This evaluation suggests two simple principles:

1) We shouldn't cause nonhuman animals to unnecessarily suffer or die.
2) Pleasure, convenience, and tradition can't make something necessary.

These principles are based on beliefs held by nearly everyone, but they don't match most people's behaviors. So the question is: What would happen if we applied them not only to exceptional cases, like my squirrels, but also to our daily lives? We would realize that over 99.9% of the suffering and death we impose on nonhuman animals isn't necessary — in any sense. Most nonhuman exploitation can only be defended on grounds of pleasure, convenience, or tradition.

Excluding dire and unusual circumstances, humans have no need to: a] Eat an animal's flesh or secretions. b] Wear or use an animal's skin, hair, teeth, fibers, or feathers. c] Patronize zoos, rodeos, aquariums, horse-drawn carriages, circuses and movies that involve nonhuman performers, or events where animals are made to fight or race. d] Breed or capture nonhumans for ‘pets’ or ‘guards’. e] Perform dissections or use products tested on nonhumans. f] Hunt or fish.

Alternatives are readily available. Our food, clothes, and cleaning products can be derived from plants, minerals, and synthetics. We have each other for companionship and machines for transport. We can entertain ourselves with music, games, books, crafts, movies, and sports. Of course, there might come a time when your only alternative is boredom or mild discomfort. Choose it rather than participate in violence against the innocent. Always keep the true victims in mind.

There is a conflict between what you claim to believe and what you actually do. Correct it. You have that power, and you have that responsibility. Allow your daily behaviors to show respect for the millions of unique individuals who are suffering and dying for no good reason.

How do I Become Vegan?Start today! Although becoming vegan isn't difficult, it does involve some effort and planning. You should anticipate reading labels, asking questions, and discussing your new behaviors with others. Before long, veganism will become second nature. If you want, it can fade into the background of your life. Vegans certainly don't feel burdened every time they eat, shop, or seek entertainment.

Always remember the reasons behind your decision. Veganism is a matter of justice, not of ‘mercy’ or ‘compassion’. It should be expected of us because it's morally right, not regarded as a praiseworthy option. Vegans are not heroes. They are just people doing the minimum required to show respect for nonhuman animals. The information below can help you join them.

Food: Fruits, grains, beans, seeds, fungi, vegetables, spices, and herbs are widely available and come in countless varieties. There is no shortage of resources to help you unleash their culinary potential. Try cookbooks like "Teff Love" by Kittee Berns, "The Joy of Vegan Baking" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, and "One-Dish Vegan" by Robin Robertson. Explore blogs like Vegan Richa, Hell Yeah it's Vegan!, and Vegan Dad. Watch videos from Tasha Edwards, Heather Nicholds, and Cooking With Plants.

Restaurants: Search for vegan-friendly places to eat with Happy Cow, UrbanSpoon, and Yelp. Never hesitate to communicate your needs or ask your server questions.

Nutrition: Being a healthy vegan is no more difficult than being a healthy nonvegan. Reference the book "Becoming Vegan" by registered dietitians Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis, this position paper by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics [pdf], this pamphlet by the International Vegan Association [html or pdf], or this website by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Shopping: Food, clothing, and toiletries can often be purchased from traditional sources. There are also specialty shops like Vegan Essentials, Pangea Vegan Store, and Vegan Cuts.

Living with Others: Tell your friends, family, and coworkers as soon as possible. If you are forthright about being vegan, and exactly what that entails, you can usually avoid awkward social situations. For more advice read the book "Vegan Freak" by Bob and Jenna Torres.

Due Diligence: Vitamin D3, carmine, and shellac are among the substances derived from animals that are not always obvious. Decode ingredient lists by searching Google or referencing a glossary by VRG. You will quickly become knowledgeable about what we put in processed foods. Some ingredients might be animal-derived (like stearates). Either avoid them or ask the manufacturer.

Taking Medicine: Read this note on compounding pharmacies by Gary Francione.

Alcohol & Sugar: Bees' honey and isinglass, a gelatin derived from fishes' swim bladders, are among the exploitive ingredients and filtering agents used in some alcohol. Barnivore lists brands to avoid. White sugar derived from sugarcane is often filtered with charcoal made of cows' bones [pdf]. This isn't true of agave, molasses, turbinado, and other sweeteners. Avoid sugar of unknown origins. Sugar that is certified organic or derived from beets wasn't bleached with bone char.

More: How Do I Go Vegan, Vegan Starter Kit, International Vegan Association, and Go Vegan Radio.

Exploiting nonhumans is never okay, and most people can become vegan right away. But if you believe you must take it slow, consider transitioning over the course of a week or two. Maybe start by changing what you eat for breakfast. Questions? nathan {@} candidhominid {.} com

Possible Questions

What about vegetarianism?    response

It's a different practice. Whereas vegans avoid all forms of nonhuman exploitation, vegetarians avoid just one: the consumption of animals' flesh. Vegetarianism is an insufficient response to the recognition that nonhumans matter morally. It should have been abandoned long ago.

Veganism emerged in the 1940s because the Vegetarian Society was resistant to change. Donald Watson and other pioneers opposed dairy products forming a standard part of the vegetarian diet. They broke away and adopted a word derived from the beginning and end of vegetarian.

Some modern advocates promote vegetarianism as a step toward veganism. This is problematic because it suggests that ‘meat’ is worse than other animal derived foods, like ruminants' milk and birds' eggs. If someone is transitioning to veganism, the steps they take can and should be consistent with veganism. For instance, eating vegan breakfasts for a while before addressing other meals. Don't forget that a vegetarian breakfast can include cows' milk yogurt and fried chickens' eggs!

Do vegans have to be perfect?    response

This is a deeply violent and speciesist world. Sadly, it's not possible to avoid absolutely everything related to the use of nonhumans. We must be morally excused for participating in certain exploitive aspects of society. Examples include blacktop and vegetables, both of which might have been made or grown with a slaughterhouse product like stearic acid or manure. We can't morally justify using such products, which would play no part in a vegan world, but it's understandable why current vegans might have a connection to them. We have to eat something, and roads are everywhere.

Given the lack of available alternatives, pavement and produce are simple cases (at least until veganic food proliferates). But vegans might face situations where it's unclear what is excusable. They must then make decisions, often quickly, in a society that doesn't expect them to care about nonhuman exploitation. This is why vegans must be prepared to rely on their conscience and act in a principled way. Ideally, every vegan would be an abolitionist in touch with a vibrant vegan community.

What kind of future do you want?    response

One where nonhumans are not exploited and humans are not oppressed by racism, sexism, cissexism, or any other form of discrimination. I'm not interested in efforts to make our use of nonhumans ‘humane’. (They are not only morally problematic, but also practically ineffective because our ability to regulate the treatment of nonhuman animals is limited by their property status.)

A vegan world won't happen overnight. We can't predict exactly what things will look like, but we know for certain that domestication will end. Everyone who is already here will be cared for until they die, and no one else will be captured or bred. Species that have no place in nature, like cows and cats, will cease to exist. As for free-living nonhumans, we will try our best to leave them alone and seriously consider their needs whenever our activities affect them. For instance, the loss of life caused by harvesting grain will be recognized as a major problem and solutions will be pursued in earnest.

How do milk and eggs hurt animals?    response

Answer coming soon. — 9/20/15

Will becoming vegan change anything?    response

Without even trying, each vegan sends two powerful messages to the people around them: nonhuman exploitation is wrong, and we can live without it. Each vegan also lowers demand for exploitive products and increases demand for the alternatives. We can amplify our effect by intentionally educating others. Humanity is capable of radical shifts in consciousness and behavior! But suppose the world only gets more and more violent. While that would be awful, it wouldn't change our moral obligation to be vegan. We simply can't justify unnecessarily using and killing sentient beings. So consider which side of history you want to be on, but, most importantly, consider doing the right thing.

What about health and the environment?    response

Some people choose to eat less food derived from nonhuman animals because they want to improve their health and/or reduce their impact on nature. Both goals are admirable. Our lives are important to us, and the environment is important to everyone on earth. But, despite their value, neither health nor ecology should be our primary motive for not exploiting sentient beings.

Consider two scenarios: 1) A group trafficking sex slaves from Europe to America on boats that release tremendous amounts of soot. 2) A woman named Mandy who has high cholesterol levels because she eats stray cats. Why do we object to these cases? Because it's wrong to enslave people and kill cats. The pollution and Mandy's wellbeing, though significant, are secondary issues.

Most vegans believe each animal is a unique individual who deserves not to be treated like a thing. An ethical motive of this type gives cause for avoiding all nonhuman exploitation. Your health and the environment only offer grounds for avoiding some nonhuman exploitation.

Eating the flesh and fluids of other animals can raise our risk for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other ailments. This fact rarely leads people to adopt every dietary aspect of veganism. And it never causes people to stop wearing goats' hair, patronizing horse races, or exploiting nonhumans in other ways that don't affect our health. There is simply no reason it would.

Humans can thrive on diets that are fully plant derived but include occasional ‘cheats’ like a holiday dinner featuring pigs' muscle tissue, biscuits made with cows' milk, and cake made with chickens' eggs. At some level and frequency, however minute and seldom, we can have such ‘foods’ without jeopardizing our wellbeing and life expectancy. Also, many animal derived ingredients used in micro amounts, like vitamin-D3 and cysteine, can be eaten regularly without ill effect.

As for the environment, our industrialized use of nonhumans by the billions is destroying forests, polluting bodies of water, and contributing to global climate change. This is primarily because feeding plants to animals and then eating their bodies or secretions is a very inefficient way to obtain nutrients. Far less energy and land are expended when people eat plants directly.

These facts usually motivate people to ‘go veg’, ‘eat local’, or have ‘meatless mondays’. They can stimulate measures that are more serious, but they can't inspire opposition to exploitation that is arguably sustainable, like taking eggs from a ‘backyard chicken’ who is fed kitchen scraps.

To summarize, some behaviors called for by veganism can benefit human health and the environment. For the sake of every sentient being on earth, this is truly wonderful. However, the key reason we should be vegan is the immorality of exploiting nonhuman animals.

Doesn't ‘vegan’ mean something else?    response

A wide range of conflicting definitions are found in other materials, including dictionaries. My essay ‘Vegan’ ≠ ‘Vegan’ ≠ ‘Vegan’ looks at how the group Vegan Outreach perverts the term. My definition is consistent not only with my ethics, but also with the early history of veganism.

What is the history of veganism?    response

It was introduced in 1944 in England by Donald Watson and others. Read a full essay.

How is ‘vegan’ pronounced?    response

VEE-gn is correct. VEGG-n, VEJ-n, and VAY-gun are not.

Note: Many ideas on this page are influenced by the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights developed by Gary Francione. Links to external sites are provided to help you with various aspects of becoming vegan. It's possible they lead to some non-abolitionist content that I oppose.